Issued:
2011-03-01
Updated:
2011-03-01

RHSA-2011:0303 - Moderate: kernel security and bug fix update

Synopsis

Moderate: kernel security and bug fix update

Type/Severity

Security Advisory Moderate

Topic

Updated kernel packages that fix three security issues and several bugs are now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.

The Red Hat Security Response Team has rated this update as having moderate security impact. Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) base scores, which give detailed severity ratings, are available for each vulnerability from the CVE links in the References section.

Description

The kernel packages contain the Linux kernel, the core of any Linux operating system.

This update fixes the following security issues:

  • A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's garbage collector for AF_UNIX sockets. A local, unprivileged user could use this flaw to trigger a denial of service (out-of-memory condition). (CVE-2010-4249, Moderate)

  • A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's networking subsystem. If the number of packets received exceeded the receiver's buffer limit, they were queued in a backlog, consuming memory, instead of being discarded. A remote attacker could abuse this flaw to cause a denial of service (out-of-memory condition). (CVE-2010-4251, Moderate)

  • A missing initialization flaw was found in the ethtool_get_regs() function in the Linux kernel's ethtool IOCTL handler. A local user who has the CAP_NET_ADMIN capability could use this flaw to cause an information leak. (CVE-2010-4655, Low)

Red Hat would like to thank Vegard Nossum for reporting CVE-2010-4249, and Kees Cook for reporting CVE-2010-4655.

This update also fixes several bugs. Documentation for these bug fixes will be available shortly from the Technical Notes document linked to in the References section.

Users should upgrade to these updated packages, which contain backported patches to correct these issues, and fix the bugs noted in the Technical Notes. The system must be rebooted for this update to take effect.

Solution

Before applying this update, make sure all previously-released errata relevant to your system have been applied.

This update is available via the Red Hat Network. Details on how to use the Red Hat Network to apply this update are available at This content is not included.https://access.redhat.com/kb/docs/DOC-11259

To install kernel packages manually, use "rpm -ivh [package]". Do not use "rpm -Uvh" as that will remove the running kernel binaries from your system. You may use "rpm -e" to remove old kernels after determining that the new kernel functions properly on your system.

Affected Products

ProductVersionArch
Red Hat Enterprise Linux for x86_64 - Extended Update Support5.6x86_64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux for x86_64 - Extended Update Support5.6ia64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux for x86_64 - Extended Update Support5.6i386
Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Power, big endian5ppc
Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Power, big endian - Extended Update Support5.6ppc
Red Hat Enterprise Linux for IBM z Systems5s390x
Red Hat Enterprise Linux for IBM z Systems - Extended Update Support5.6s390x
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation5x86_64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation5i386
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server5x86_64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server5ia64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server5i386
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server from RHUI5x86_64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server from RHUI5i386
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - Extended Update Support from RHUI5.6x86_64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - Extended Update Support from RHUI5.6i386
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - AUS5.6x86_64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - AUS5.6ia64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server - AUS5.6i386
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop5x86_64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop5i386

Updated Packages

  • kernel-xen-devel-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.i686.rpm
  • kernel-devel-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-xen-devel-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-debug-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.ia64.rpm
  • kernel-kdump-devel-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-debug-devel-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.ia64.rpm
  • kernel-PAE-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.i686.rpm
  • kernel-debug-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.ia64.rpm
  • kernel-headers-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-headers-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.ia64.rpm
  • kernel-xen-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-debug-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-debug-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.i686.rpm
  • kernel-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-debug-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-devel-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-headers-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.i386.rpm
  • kernel-xen-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.i686.rpm
  • kernel-kdump-devel-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-debug-devel-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-kdump-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-debug-devel-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-xen-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.ia64.rpm
  • kernel-headers-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.ppc.rpm
  • kernel-devel-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.ia64.rpm
  • kernel-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-debug-devel-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-headers-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.s390x.rpm
  • kernel-xen-devel-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.ia64.rpm
  • kernel-headers-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.x86_64.rpm
  • kernel-kdump-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-debug-devel-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.i686.rpm
  • kernel-devel-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.ppc64.rpm
  • kernel-PAE-devel-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.i686.rpm
  • kernel-doc-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.noarch.rpm
  • kernel-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.src.rpm
  • kernel-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.i686.rpm
  • kernel-devel-2.6.18-238.5.1.el5.i686.rpm

Fixes

CVEs

References

Additional information